Built in 1842, this cottage was designed by architect John Skirving for banker George Washington Riggs as his private residence. In 1851, Riggs sold his estate to the United States Army which sought to create a home for its retired and disabled veterans in the aftermath of the Mexican-American War. To increase awareness, the Soldiers’ Home estate keepers began inviting U.S. presidents to reside in the various cottages found on site. The Lincoln family visited for the first time shortly after the presidential inauguration and spent the following three summers at their cottage.
The building itself distinctly evokes traditional elements of Gothic Revival architecture, most notably with its irregular geometries, ornate trimmings, and series of gabled roofs. This created a clear visual shift from the urban setting of the capital’s center to its more tranquil outskirts. The surrounding grounds are minimally manicured, allowing for panoramic views from the hill overlooking the nation’s capital.
Nestled between the Washington Unit of the Armed Forces Retirement Home and the U.S. Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home campus which comprises three other antebellum structures found on the 250-acre site, President Lincoln’s Cottage was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and designated a National Monument in 2000.
